Sacramento Kings (1985-Present)

Historical Moments:
1985/86: Playing in the 10,333-seat Sacramento Sports Arena, which would be renamed ARCA Arena the Kings played in front of sold out crowds every night. In their first season in California's Capital City the Kings would post a 37-45 record while finishing in 5th place in the Midwestern Division. Despite their poor record the Kings would sneak into the playoffs. However, it would be a quick exit as they are swept in three straight by the Houston Rockets.

1986/87: In their 2nd season in Sacramento the Kings would stumble out of the gate losing 20 of their first 28 games. The Kings would continue to struggle into the New Year when Coach Phil Johnson is fired with Kings lingering in last place with a record of 14-32. Under Johnson's replacement Jerry Reynolds the Kings would play slightly better escaping last place by 1 game but missing the playoffs with a record of 29-53.

1987/88: Hoping greatness would inspire the Kings, the team names NBA legend Bill Russell as their new coach with fellow Hall of Famer Willis Reed serving as one of his assistants. The experiment would not even last the entire season as Reed left to be head Coach of the New Jersey Nets on February 28th, a week later Russell would be fired with Kings holding a horrible record of 17-41. Jack Reynolds would coach the team the remainder of the season as the Kings finished in last place with a 24-58 record. Despite the struggles the fans of Sacramento would sell out every single home game.

1988/89: The Kings would move into a larger castle, as a brand new arena also named ARCO Arena would open with a capacity of 16,517. However, the Kings would still struggle posting a 27-55 record as they finished in 6th place in their first season in the Pacific Division. It would also be a year of transition for the Kings roster as several changes were made before and during the season. The Kings would trade Reggie Theus to the Atlanta Hawks for Randy Wittman, picked up guards Ricky Berry and Vinny Del Negro in the draft, while trading Otis Thorpe to the Houston Rockets for Rodney McCray and Jim Petersen. In February the Kings dealt Wittman and LaSalle Thompson to the Indiana Pacers for Wayman Tisdale and a draft choice, then sent Joe Kleine and Ed Pinckney to the Boston Celtics for Danny Ainge and Brad Lohaus. Despite the struggles and the trades the Kings would still sell out every single game. Following the season the Kings would win draft lottery selecting 6-10 center Pervis Ellison of Louisville.

1989/90: Prior to the start of the season the Kings would be hit with tragedy as guard Ricky Berry, who had just completed a solid rookie season with 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, committed suicide. The reeling Kings continued to tinker with their roster. Antoine Carr, Ralph Sampson, and Greg Kite appeared on the scene. In addition the Kings would change coaches firing Jerry Reynolds and bringing in Dick Motta. However nothing seemed to work as the Kings finished in last place with a woeful 23-59 record.

1990/91: The Kings would become the first team in NBA history to wield 4 first-round draft choices, selecting forward Lionel Simmons, guard Travis Mays, center Duane Causwell, and forward Anthony Bonner. However, the struggles would continue as the Kings finished in last place with a 25-57 record, losing a record 37 straight games on the road. However, at home the fans remained loyal selling out every single game again.

1991/92: The Kings continued to tinker with their roster in every way trading top draft pick Bill Owens to the Golden State Warriors for Mitch Richmond, while acquiring Spud Webb, and trading away or releasing Travis Mays, Antoine Carr, and Ralph Sampson. However, the struggles would continue as the Kings losing streak climbed to 43 before beating the Magic in Orlando on November 23rd. The Kings would change coaches again firing Dick Motta in the middle of the season. However, under his replacement Rex Hughes the Kings would still finish in last place with a 29-53 record.

1992/93: Under new Coach Gary St. Jean the Kings would continue to struggle, as they were plagued with injuries losing all 5 opening day starters for extended stretches during the season, as they finished in last place again with a horrible 25-57 record. It would be the 7th straight season in which the Kings failed to win at least 30 games.

1993/94: With top draft pick Bobby Hurley the all-time college assist leader at Duke the Kings had a renewed optimism entering the season. However, 19 games into the season the optimism would be wiped out, as Hurley was involved in a life-threatening automobile accident. His injuries included a fractured back, multiple rib fractures, a fractured shoulder, a torn trachea, and torn knee ligaments. The Kings would go on to finish in 6th place with a terrible 28-54 record. However, Mitch Richmond would provide Kings Fans with something to cheer about by becoming the first Kings in 19 years to start the All-Star Game while averaging 23.4 ppg.

1994/95: Bobby Hurley would return to play, but it was clear he would never be the same player they drafted as he struggled all season. However, with the arrival of rookies Brian Grant and Michael Smith the Kings had an improved defense which held opponents at 99.2 ppg (8th best in the NBA). On the offensive side the Kings were led by Mitch Richmond who scored 22.8 ppg while winning the All-Star Game MVP, as the Kings battled all season for the 8th and final playoff spot. Ending their string of 8-staruight seasons with less then 30 wins the Kings faced the Denver Nuggets on the final day of the season for the final playoff spot. However, the Nuggets would win and the Kings would go home with a 39-43 record.

1995/96: The Kings would finally end their 9-year playoff drought by winning 14 of their last 24 games to rally and capture the 8th and final playoff spot with a record of 39-43. In the playoffs the Kings split the first 2 games with Supersonics in Seattle earning their first postseason win in 15 years. However, when the series shifted to ARCO Arena the Kings would leave their loyal fans disappointed dropping both games at home to exit the playoffs in 4 games.

1996/97: Coming off their first playoff appearance in 10 years expectation in Sacramento were high. However injuries, and a tough early-season schedule, would clobber the Kings as they won just 8 of their first 25 games. The Kings would rebound to get back in playoff contention with a 28-32 record. However, the wheels would fall off as Kings went on a 7-game losing streak costing Coach Gary St. Jean his job. Under his replacement Eddie Jordan the Kings would finish with a 34-48 record missing the playoffs by just 2 games.

1997/98: The Kings decided a renewed devotion to youth with the quartet of talented rookies. Michael Stewart, Anthony Johnson, Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Lawrence Funderburke, as Mitch Richmond continued to play at an All-Star level averaging 23.2 ppg. However, the Kings would still struggle posting a record of 27-55.

1998/99: The NBA seasons would be cut in half by a 4-month lockout. When the season did start in February the Kings had undergone a dramatic change as Mitch Richmond was traded to the Washington Wizards for Chris Webber. In addition the Kings signed Vlade Divac and drafted Jason Williams, to have one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. Williams who earned the nickname "White Chocolate" would be a regular on Sportscenter with his fancy play making skill as Chris Webber brought the loyal fans of Sacramento to their feet with his monster jams. The Kings would go on to post their first winning record in 16 years with a record of 27-23, under new Coach Rick Adelman. In the playoffs the Kings would throw a scare into the Utah Jazz sending the decisive 5th game to overtime where they final fell 99-92.

1999/00: Coming off a winning record in a strike shortened season much was expected of the Kings, who would not disappoint continuing to play an exciting brand of basketball while posting a 44-38 record which was good enough for the 8th playoff spot. In the playoffs the Kings would give fans at ARCO Arena something to cheer about as they rallied from a 0-2 defect to force a 5th and deciding game with the Los Angels Lakers by winning both home playoff games. However, the Lakers would easily win Game 5 at home and go on to win the NBA Championship.

2000/01: After 2 straight playoff seasons the Kings would make it into the NBA's elite status by challenging for the Pacific Division all season, falling just 1 game short with a solid 55-27 record, along the way the Kings set an NBA record with 89 wins in overtime. In the playoffs the Kings would get their first taste of success as they won their first playoff series in 20 years by beating the Phoenix Suns in 4 games. However, the Kings were not ready for primetime as they were swept in 4 straight by the Los Angeles Lakers.

2001/02: Entering the season the Kings would have a changing of the guard as they traded Jason Williams to the Memphis Grizzlies for Mike Bibby. Though less flashy Bibby was a much better pure point guard, as he helped the Kings finish in the league's top 5 in several categories, including defensive rebounding (1st), scoring (2nd), rebounding (2nd), steals (3rd), field goal percentage (2nd), and assists (4th), as the Kings finished with best record in the NBA while posting a franchise best 61-21 record. In the playoffs the Kings would shake off early struggles to beat the Utah Jazz in 4 games. Moving on to the 2nd Round the Kings would start to get hot as they easily beat the Dallas Mavericks in 5 games to set up a much anticipated match up with Los Angeles Lakers for the Western Conference Finals.

2001/02: In what was widely considered the real NBA Finals the Kings and Lakers met in one of the best playoff series in NBA history. After splitting the first 2 games at ARCO Arena the Kings seized control of the series with a 103-90 win in Game 3. With a chance to go up 3 games to 1 the Kings led the Lakers by 2 points in thee final seconds of Game 4 as Kobe Bryant missed a shot with time winding down. However the rebound would bounce to Robert Horry who nailed a 3-point shot as the time expired to even the series at 2 for the Lakers. In Game 5 the Kings would give the Lakers a taste of their own medicine as Mike Bibby gave the Kings a 92-91 win with 8.2 seconds left. Looking to close out the Lakers in Game 6 the Kings would be pushed to a 7th game in controversial foul filled game in which the Lakers had 40 free throws, winning 106-102. In Game 7 back in Sacramento the game would go back and forth much like the series itself with 16 ties and 19 lead changes, going into overtime tied at 100. However the Kings would run out of gas in overtimes as the Lakers scored the final 9 points to pull out a 112-106 win.

2002/03: Coming off their loss in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals most expected the Kings to be one of the top contenders in the NBA again. Early in the season the Kings Roster depth was put to a test early as several players were on the injured list including Mike Bibby. However, in Bibby's absence Bobby Jackson more then filled the void establishing himself as one of the best back ups early in the season on the way to winning the NBA 6th Man Award, as the Kings humped out to a solid 18-5 season. Through out the entire season the Kings depth was put to the test as nearly every player missed several games during the season. However, the Kings would overcome adversity and would easily win the Pacific Division with a terrific 59-23 record. In the playoffs the Kings would cruise in the first round eliminating the Utah Jazz in 5 games, as the first round became a best of 7 for the first time ever. In the second round the Kings got off to a strong start beating the Dallas Mavericks on the road 124-113 in Game 1. However, in a 132-110 loss in Game 2 the Kings depth would be put to the test again as Chris Webber suffered a season ending knee injury. Despite the loss of Webber the Kings were able to fight their way to a 7th game. However, in the end the loss of Webber would be too much to overcome as the Kings lost to the Mavs on the road in Game 7 by a score of 112-99.

2003/04: Despite Chris Webber being sidelined after knee surgery most of the season the Kings jumped out thanks to the MVP type numbers put up by Peja Stojokovic. In December as the Los Angeles Lakers struggled, the Kings took advantage taking control of the Pacific Division leading by as many as 7 games. However after the All-Star Break the Kings began to struggling losing Bobby Jackson to an injury an abdominal injury. Webber would return in March but instead of helping the Kings it seemed to hurt the Kings as it messed up the team's chemistry, as the Kings played mediocre 12-12 basketball over the final 6 weeks losing the division title to the Lakers on the final day of the season while posting a record of 55-27. In the playoffs the struggling Kings faced the Dallas Mavericks who knocked them out of the playoffs a year earlier, with the first 2 games at home the Kings jumped out to a 2-0 series, lead after dropping Game 3 the Kings rebounded with a thrilling 94-92 win in Game 4 to take a stranglehold on the series on the way to taking the series in 5 games. In the 2nd Round the Kings were matched up against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where they would draw first blood winning Game 1 on the road 104-98 led by 33 points from Mike Bibby. After dropping Game 2 the series shifted back to Sacramento where they would lose a heartbreaker in overtime 114-113. The teams would alternate wins over the next 3 games as the series went the full 7 games where the Kings season ended in heartbreak again with an 83-80 loss as the Kings could not contain Kevin Garnett who had an MVP performance with 32 points and 21 rebounds.

2004/05: The Kings would begin the season by going through Texas and losing their first 3 games as they started the season against 3 top teams on the road. The Kings would rebound right away winning 13 of their next 15. However, they would never get to see first place as they were unable to catch up to the Phoenix Suns who came flying out of the gate. In February the Kings began to struggle as they were in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference Playoff Chase, forcing the team in to a tough decision as they decided to trade Chris Webber to the Philadelphia 76ers with the hopes of getting a better defense for the playoffs. In return the Kings would receive Corliss Williams, Kenny Thomas and Brian Skinner. The deal would not work out as plan as the Kings would not improve down the stretch posting a 14-11 record over the final 2 months, as they ended up with the 6th seed in the NBA Playoffs while finishing in 2nd Place in the Pacific Division with a record of 50-32. In the playoffs where it matter most the Kings would not be a strong as they hoped as they were knocked off by the Seattle Supersonics easily in five games.

2005/06: The Kings stumbled out of the gate as they won just one of their first five games starting from an embarrassing 93-67 loss to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on opening night. In December the Kings struggles continued as they dropped to 10-17 following a five game losing streak. Struggling at 17-24 and out of the playoff picture on January 24th the Kings looked to shake things up by trading Peja Stojakovic to the Indiana Pacers for the controversial Ron Artest. Though a player that would improve the Kings porous defense Artest came to Sacramento with plenty of baggage following a riot in 2004 that led to nearly a year long suspension and a public feud with the Pacers that ended with him being sent home while they worked out a deal. The Kings continued to play mediocre basketball as they adjusted to their new addition entering the All-Star Break with a record of 24-29. When the break was over the Kings suddenly turned things around as they won 9 of 12 to get back into playoff contention and back to .500, setting up a strong finish that saw them post a 7-1 record in April that enabled the Kings to slip into the playoffs with a record of 44-38. In the playoffs the Kings would face the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Not surprisingly the Kings fell behind early losing the first two games in San Antonio. However, as the series shifted to ARCO Arena the Kings got renewed energy from the sixth man as they edged the Spurs 94-93 in Game 3 then blew out the Spurs 102-84 in Game 4. After losing in Game 5 on the road, the Kings were not able to find the same home court magic in Game 6 as they were eliminated with a 105-83 loss. Following the season an era came to an end as Rick Adelman who led the Kings to playoff appearance in all eight seasons at the helm was replaced by Eric Musselman.

2006/07: Trouble started for the Kings early as Coach Eric Musselman was arrested for a DUI, while Ron Artest was cited for neglecting his dogs. Despite the problems the Kings got off to a solid start posting an 8-5 record at the end of November. However, with the arrival of December the Kings began to struggle losing five straight as they slipped under .500. In January the Kings fell further landing in last place as they lost seven in a row. After a mediocre February, the Kings problems got worse in March as Ron Artest was arrested arrested for domestic assault. While the Kings investigated the charge, Artest was suspended for nearly a week as the Kings continued to struggle, finishing with a terrible record of 33-49, ending an eight year streak of consecutive playoff appearances. The only bring sport was the play of Kevin Martin, who had a break out season with 20.2 ppg, while averaging 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists, as he finished second in Most Improved Player voting. Following the season the Kings would fire Coach Eric Musselman after just one season at the helm, replacing him with former Kings star Reggie Theus.

2007/08: When Reggie Theus played for the Kings, they barely mattered in the NBA as they were just starting out in their new home in Sacramento. Unfortunately, when he returned to coach the Kings, they were again in the early stages of rebuilding and again did not matter in the NBA. Beginning with a 5-10 start the Kings were never in the playoff picture, as they ended up finishing in fourth place with a record of 38-44. Along the way the Kings continued to remake their roster trading PG Mike Bibby Bibby to the Atlanta Hawks for Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2nd round draft pick. Providing a bright spot for Kings fans was Kevin Martin who led the team with 23.7 ppg. Following the season the Kings continued to make changes trading Ron Artest and the draft rights to Patrick Ewing Jr. and Sean Singletary to the Houston Rockets for one time Kings star Bobby Jackson, Dont� Greene, a future first round draft pick, and cash considerations.

2008/09: The Kings experienced more change just before the season began as Sharif Abdur-Rahim due to a persistent knee injury. When the season began the Kings struggles continued as they got off to a 6-18 start, which led to the firing of Coach Reggie Theus.